Fair enough. But do you not think you are giving the RFL all the ammunition they require to shoot down your application finishing so low? If you miss the playoffs I fear you have no chance at all...

We are not finishing all that low, We have had a bad season. Yet we have still reached a cup final and we are not out of the playoff race yet, were missing a scrum half and 2 and then we should be competing for honours.

Leigh are competing for SL ( if they get to the playoff final ) and yet last year they finished third bottom. The RFL are more interested in strong clubs and not strong teams, We can get a new squad in one season, any club that went up would have to.

But i say again i wish for a return to P&R. But as a club we have to aim for the targets set to us by the RFL, just like fax do.

We dont have a god given right, We have a right as the strongest club outside of SL given the things the RFL are looking for. Nobody has a god given right.

You said it would be a Disgrace should Widnes get a franchise, and claimed that we are not ahead of other championship clubs in any area other than Crowds. Which is dead wrong, Widnes should get a Franchise seeing as they are the strongest, Best supported, Most financially sound club playing in some of the best facilities while running a Full and very successful youth set up. Why would it be a Disgrace for us to get a franchise and how on earth would it compare to the Joke that was the south Wales crusaders?

Widnes Didnt make the rules, If we did im sure we would be trying to win the playoffs to gain promotion into SL. Thats what i would want.

Tony,

Looking at the run ins I actually quite fancy Batley and Toulouse to push on and maybe pass you..

Toulouse have a nasty run-in of Barrow, Widnes, Leigh, Fax. There game with you is HUGE and I wouldn't bet against them turning you over again....

You have Toulouse, Sheff, Barrow, Keighley. You'll stuff Keighley but the other 3 are definitely loseable for the current Widnes form...

Batley have Keighley, Fev, Us, Haven. You'd fancy Batley to win at least 2 of those...

The bonus point given up tonight could end up being a terrible terrible decision by someone... Why wasn't the two-pointer called for??

It just shows what a farce franchising is. I don't feel any malice towards Widnes if given a nod but what a complete farce if they are. A team that has only won a minor trophy in the past 2 years and will probably finish outside the play offs this year given the nod.

The fact that they can't even compete in this league is proof they would have to buy 15-20 players for SL which is not viable.. But who are we to argue..

Looking at the run in i dont fancy our chances either, For me the club should look to blood some of out 18's now and get them some first team experience. Craven had another very good game at fullback for instance and if Tom Kelly can cut out the daft penalties he is a keeper.

Cassidy Called for the two pointer but Smith ignored him and went for the 4, a bloody stupid error from a very experienced player. Its something of the story of our season.

But we can beat anyone on our day, as can most teams in this division. So i wont give up yet.

The RFL are not looking for another team in the north of England mate, as much as I would like to believe it.

I do believe it would be a disgrace, but not on Widnes's part. As you say, you have done a lot right off the field. In my opinion, it would be a disgrace if a team that has not won the league or even finished in the top three for the last two years be given a franchise. The RFL would be committing the disgraceful act, not Widnes. Halifax are not going to get a franchise, we all know that. However Widnes, IMO, on the pitch are in a much worse position than last time around and I think we both agree that its all that should matter.

BTW, if you want to talk about successful youth teams who beat Widnes two years in a row in the U-21s final?

If Craven was the tiny little lad who looked about 12 I completely agree with you. I thought he was outstanding tonight. Am I right in thinking it was him that took big Frank down in front of the posts? If so he kept you in it at times tonight.

Bad bad mistake by a normally quality player then especially if Cassidy called for the two... Could literally make or break the season at the end its going to be that tight..

Not realy. Dont forget its hard to make your bigger clubs successful since the cap was reduced, thats why this season has been so close. So with Widnes Running Multiple Full squads they are having to make their now smaller salary cap stretch further than a team Like Batley does since Batley only run a 1st team.

And i say again, any club going up into SL would need 15-20 players, so none of us are viable if thats the yard stick.

If Widnes Go to SL i will spend any spare weekends Following Oldham in the championship ( thats who won the process of elimination, Leigh went first :p )

Tonight was a good result for you, and you deserved the win. No arguments from me. Im not boasting, i just dont understand where this Hate of Widnes comes from. We didnt make the rules, but we have to try abide by them and hit the targets the RFL set out for us. However wrong they may be.